The Shinty Preview – Saturday 19 March 2011. | |
18 March 2011 There is a full shinty fixture list for Saturday 19 March 2011 following the weather related postponements last week. Scottish Hydro Premier Division The Scottish Hydro Premier Division champions meet the Marine Harvest North Division 1 champions as Newtonmore and Kilmallie clash at the Eilan. Kilmallie are at full strength and their only absentee from last season is full forward Donald Lamont who has hung up his caman. Newtonmore should also be at full strength after having to make a couple of defensive changes against Lovat in their abandoned game last weekend. The Badenoch area continues to suffer freezing conditions but the hope is that this game goes ahead. There is a derby meeting at An Aird where Fort William host Oban Camanachd. The Fort will still be without suspended trio Adam Robertson, John MacDonald and Liam MacIntyre, who must sit out the game against his former club. The visitors already have a couple of points on the board thanks to victory over Kilmallie. There is an all-south meeting at the Winterton where Inveraray meet new boys Glenorchy. Inveraray will start as favourites against a Glenorchy side who suffered a blow with the loss of influential full back Alan McKechnie before the start of the season. Lovat’s tough start to the season continues as they head for Tighnabruaich to play Kyles Athletic. Even although the game was ultimately postponed, Lovat will take confidence from scoring 3 goals last week against a Newtonmore side which only lost 10 league goals in 2010. The Balgate side have a couple of players unable to make the journey south as captain Euan Ferguson and new signing Iain Nicolson miss out because of work commitments. Glenurquhart and Kingussie meet at Blairbeg. This match comes too soon for King’s hitman Ronald Ross but the he is making progress in his recovery from injury. Glenurquhart won the corresponding fixture last year on the final day of the league shinty season and manager Jim Barr hopes striker Neale Reid will be fit to make his first appearance of the season. Marine Harvest North Division 1 The match of the day in this league is the meeting between Kinlochshiel and Beauly at Kirkton. The visitors took the scalp of 2010 league runners up Lochaber in the opening day of the season. They now face the team who finished third and confidence is high in the Beauly camp. Kinlochshiel lost their opening 3 fixtures last term which cost them dearly at the end of the season. They beat Cabers a fortnight ago and they will be slight favourites for a second win which would put them 4 points ahead of their tally at the same stage last season. There is a west coast derby at Battery Park where Skye Camanachd visit Lochcarron. Lochcarron boss Murdo John Fraser expects his side to be along usual lines. The Islanders boss Aonghas MacDonald makes two changes from the squad which lost to Strathglass. Shockie MacLennan is available once again and youngster Stewart Grant is added to the squad. Defender Martin Bruce is out with a broken hand whilst Kerr Gibb misses out as he is suffering from shin-splints. Strathglass and Lochaber meet at Cannich. Strathglass made a fantastic start to the season with a win over Skye. Lochaber are amongst the title favourites and after losing their opening day fixture to Beauly, Michael Delaney’s side will not want to slip up again. Inverness welcome Caberfeidh to the Bught Park. The home side will be without the injured David Glass. This game could be a significant indicator to both side’s fortunes for the season ahead. Marine Harvest South Division 1 Glasgow Mid Argyll make their second attempt to play their first game of the season when they travel to face Kilmory. Mid Argyll are beginning to reap the benefits from a great deal of hard work at youth level and they are no longer a side who rely on players from other teams relocating into the central belt. Bute welcome Oban Celtic to the Meadows. Bute will start as favourites for this one with their major goal threat coming from former Scotland international Hector Whitelaw. Taynuilt host newly promoted Kyles Athletic reserve side who won their opening league game. Lochside Rovers welcome Ballachulish to Oban. Ballachulish finished the 2010 shinty season a point ahead of their rivals and the corresponding fixture last season finished goalless. Marine Harvest North Division 2 There is a derby match at Spean Bridge as Glengarry make the short journey to play Lochaber. The newly promoted Spean Bridge men enjoyed a morale boosting win last week but they could find the going tough against a Glengarry side who enjoyed a successful league campaign in 2010. Kilmallie and Newtonmore meet at the Canal Parks. Both sides should have full squads to select from as their first teams have few absentees. There should be also a good match at the Dell as Kingussie take on Glenurquhart. A Kevin Thain hat-trick helped the Kings to a 5-1 victory in the corresponding fixture last season. Skye Camanachd play Fort William at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree. Skye will be without Stewart Grant who is with the first team whilst Victor Smith’s young Fort charges will provide stiff opposition. The meeting between Lovat and Kinlochshiel at Balgate is another interesting tie. The home side has an experienced squad this season with former first team full back Martin Bell making a goal scoring start at full forward a fortnight ago. Shiel got their first points with a win over Skye last weekend but they won’t be able to call on the services of goal scorers Neil Fraser and John MacRae as they will be with their first team. Marine Harvest South Division 2 Aberdour host Islanders Bute. Aberdour finished second in the league last season. However Aberdour only beat their rivals by the odd goal in five when the sides met at the same venue. The newly formed Ballachulish reserve side and the Inveraray seconds meet at Jubilee Park. Both sides lost their opening game of the season. Tayforth have a home match against Strachur. Tayforth only finished 2 points ahead of their rivals last season but a Brendan Dougan hat-trick helped Tayforth to a 5-1 when the sides met. Glasgow Mid Argyll play Col Glen at Yoker. Mid Argyll won last season’s fixture 6-1 at Yoker when Craig Anderson and Ian Luke each scored twice. Marine Harvest North Division 3 There is a 12.30pm throw up between Aberdeen University and Lewis Camanachd. The match takes place at Braeview Park, Beauly as the sides’ compromise on their travel arrangements. The Students have made a good start to the season and only trail league leaders Beauly on goal difference. Former Skye Camanachd player Kenny MacLeod got off the mark with a hat-trick last weekend. Lewis led Beauly for an hour before eventually going down in their opening day clash and they won’t lack effort and look to be improving with each outing. Following this game, Beauly play Boleskine on the same pitch with a 3pm throw up. Beauly have made a good start to the season, scoring 12 goals whilst conceding only 2 goals in their opening 2 matches. Boleskine have a win against Inverness under their belt so they will travel with confidence. Lochbroom and Inverness meet in Ullapool. Lochbroom won 2-0 when the sides met at the same venue last season thanks to goals from John MacFadyen and Lorne Hughes. Caberfeidh take on Strathglass at Castle Leod. Cabers won the corresponding fixture 7-2 last season with full forward Alan Ross grabbing a hat-trick. Lochcarron head west to play Ardnamurchan in the hope of following up their win over Strathglass with another 2 points. Crisdean Finlayson scored four as Lochaber won 7-1 at the same venue last season. |